A few random quick hits from a frustrating Game 5 defeat, before I go to the dentist this morning…
After further review from the replay officials, Steve Nash appears worthy of the MVP.
I said it yesterday, and I will now say it again: Any defense that requires you to give uncontested lay-ups and now, uncontested free-throw line jump shots to one of the best players in the sport, is a flawed and silly strategy that might work when you are ahead 15 points in a home game in which you got every rebound. But, all things being equal, is about as stupid an idea as Hack-a-Shaq.
Too many passengers last night. Including a guy who generally gets a pass from me, Fin.
Good News? Mavericks have shown they play great with their back pressed against the wall, well, the rest of this series will provide that motivation.
Jerry Stackhouse may be my hero.
Links:
David Moore searches through the rubble …
There's no doubt why the Mavericks are just one loss from elimination. The Suns pounded the Mavericks on the boards, 56-42. The Suns had a demoralizing 20 offensive rebounds and scored more than half of their points in the paint.
"That's huge," center Amare Stoudemire said of the Suns' 66 points in the paint. "I came out in a rebound mode tonight. I wanted to crash the boards and take advantage of our height against their small lineup."
He did. Stoudemire dominated the boards with 18 rebounds after having just five in the team's Game 4 loss. He had five offensive rebounds, as did Shawn Marion and Quentin Richardson.
Revo on the Mavs “secret weapon” – let Nash dominate …
Remember all that silly chatter about the Mavs having "figured out" the Suns with their strategy to force Nash to shoot instead of dishing out assists? How'd that work out in Game 5?
Nash dominates like Magic ….
Blackistone on Jim Jackson saving the day …
One-time Mavericks guard Jim Jackson collided with Josh Howard, and Howard collapsed. Howard had to be escorted to the locker room for treatment.
A few possessions later, Jackson smacked Dirk Nowitzki in the face, and Nowitzki crumpled to the floor. He had to be escorted to the locker room to get treated, too.
Howard was fixed up by then and replaced Nowitzki.
But just like that, with two starters knocked out of the game momentarily, the Mavericks were discombobulated. They struggled to hold on to what seemed like a comfortable lead they'd held all evening long, a lead that was seven at the half. Gone for the moment was Dirk's scoring and Howard's bravery on the boards.
All NBA Teams named …
Rangers bats shut down again …
The Rangers are a very aggressive team, especially against lefties. The Rangers don't play DH David Dellucci, the team's most patient hitter, against lefties because the left-handed hitter has struggled mightily against them throughout his career. Nor do they play center fielder Laynce Nix.
It can lead to a jumbled lineup. On Wednesday, Andres Torres, taking his first major league at-bat since 2003, batted leadoff in place of Dellucci, the AL's on-base percentage leader. Chad Allen was the DH in a very un-DH-like spot: No. 8.
But the right-handed hitters who are supposed to be the lineup's backbone haven't done the job. Teixeira, who was 1-for-4, is hitting .227 against lefties. Michael Young is hitting just .132. He popped out to first to end a bases-loaded threat in the second inning.
FC Dallas 2, Colorado 1 …1st time in 4 years the team formerly known as the Burn have rallied from a halftime deficit to win…
English Are Hostile After a U.S. Soccer Takeover …
Saturday, is the FA Cup Final on PPV, Arsenal versus Manchester United …
Pamela Anderson to Start Your Engines ...
Winslow done for the year …
MJ the gambler? …I know, not relevant, but a P1 showed me this, so for anyone who needs a time killer…
Dan (left) and Bob (right) hold Darth Gribble hostage...
To see more of that idiocy from yesterday, Click Here ...
10 comments:
Good Lord, could Dampier miss more 1 foot shots or fumble more passes or muff more rebounds. He should've scored 30 without shooting any further than 1 foot from the basket!!
We were in that game and just couldn't get it done. I really blame Damp, but 30+ points aside, Dirk has to step up to win that game.
Don't even get me started on Finley either....yech!!
Time for my knee-jerk:
Seriously, what is the difference between Damp and Bradley? Both get out-rebounded by smaller guys, can't score from two feet, and foul every 3.7 seconds. Which is worse, getting posterized once a game, or not catching A SINGLE PASS the entire game?!?!? Bradley is horrible, but Damp isn't far behind.
As for the Mavs, they will never escape the moniker of being soft. No defense. No heart. How can you be so FREAKIN' lame against a team featuring a spare journeyman and a Brazilian?!?!
I shattered my stopwatch last night in frustration...anyone have one to sell me?
Just out of curiosity, did you bring the Sturmtrooper costumes home so you could play dress up with the wife, and was Sally in the Gold Princess Leia Bikini?
Is it just me, or did Dan get to wear the "real" stormtrooper outfit, while Bob was stuck with the homemade version. Its so unfair!
In other news, I've never seen so many players with thier feet cememented to the floor in the 4th quarter. I'll take "energetic- defensive-minded-reboudning maniac-but-can't-buy-a-basket" Dirk over "at-least-he-had-a-good-shooting-night" Dirk any day of the week.
Anyone think Doug Collins is on the Suns payroll? Good Lord, his panties got wetter and wetter with each Suns score.
Oh my god! No killer insticts. The Mavs have their foot on the Suns throat ready to finish them off and leave for dead. And then nothing, it was painful to watch. I guarantee the Mavs win game 6 and then give us another one of these for game 7 just to further agonize another day.
T.O.'ed Mike
Personally I've been really disappointed in the analyzation of Game 4; letting Nash score at will did NOT win them Game 4.
Everyone got tunnel vision when Nash went crazy in the 2nd Half, but the Mavs were already up by SIXTEEN at the half if memory serves. The Suns outscored the Mavs in the 2nd Half during Nash's little frenzy. The reason they won Game 4 was because of their superior rebounding and defense play in the FIRST half when Nash was still human and only scored 13 (give or take) points.
If they keep this strategy up it'll be time for the annual Kenny Rogers Trade Talk segment at 12:30 on Monday.
Dale Hansen did not understand why some Dallas fans booed Steve Nash during game four. What he did in games 4 and 5 is why - he is totally raping Dallas on the offensive side. Yea, Dallas is SOOO much better at stopping dribble penetration by guards now that we don't have Nash as a defensive liability. Wow, Nash is schooling us with that little ten footer fade away. "Hand of Stone" just killed me with those misses. After those missed 0 footers Dallas couldn't trust him anymore to try to go down to him on the set up offense. That kept Amare from having to play defense and out of foul trouble in the second half. What a wasted effort by Dirk and Jerry. Dirk sucked it up on defense but he had his jumper going, which made the Suns have to jump into him more and picking up fouls. He had 11 of 14 free throws. Stackhouse, that dude has some heart. That was a cool block from behind on Marion.
108 points and 43.6% FG shooting is not enough to beat the Suns the way Dallas plays 'd'.
P1 "Disco" Stu
Where is Bradley on the all-NBA teams? He at least should have got some 2nd team votes.
Mike
Well Bob,
I tried to call in today to give you my take, but here goes... I have been a Mav fan since the 80's and I have never seen so many subplots in a season that I have seen in this 2004-2005 mavs season. Someone should be writing a book about this year as we speak.. On to my real point... The aura of Erick Dampier. My theory is this, bottom line.. Dampier is not liked by this organization period. From Nellie, to Avery,to the players, to the current coaches, something happened that we don't know about to make this franchise do a double take when it comes to the importance of Dampier. I have never seen a professional athlete with such a fragile mental outlook on his game like Dampier has. He is scared to death on the court and it shows. Every time you see Damp during this playoff run, he looks like a kid that just lost his mom in the grocery store. He is just about to cry and is terrified. Did we (as in Cuban)over value him? Did he lose his fierceness a month or so ago, or did he never have a mean streak? What is bizarre about this whole thing is that he is better than anything that we have ever had down low. WE DID NOT BRING HIM HERE TO SCORE!! double digit rebounds and a few blocks are great in my book.. What if we are eliminated? What will the fate of Damp be? His team mates don't even look his way, unless they are pissed off at him.. we shall see
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